Headquarters Staff

We welcome your comments and questions. Click here to contact us, or use the links in the sections below to contact a specific person by email.


Dan Beavers

Dan Beavers
Programs & Partners Manager
Email
847-236-9470

  • Preferred Partner Program
  • Selected Study Groups Program
  • Selected Transfer Services Program
  • Selected Resources Program
  • Family Follow-Up Survey Program

Dan brings more than 20 years of customer service and member support experience to Selected. He helps educate members about Selected’s programs and responds to member inquiries, tackles questions and handles requests for member assistance. Dan also manages Selected’s Preferred Partner Program, facilitating our Partners’ support of members and independent funeral service.

Pam Butenshen

Pam Butenshen
Membership & Database Specialist
Email
224-619-3618

  • Recruitment/Retention Support
  • Dues Processing
  • Member Support
  • Database Administration

Pam brings more than 20 years of association membership experience to Selected. She supports all aspects of the member relationship through data tracking, dues processing, membership balloting and new member onboarding. Pam maintains the integrity of our database and reporting.

Liz Centi

Liz Centi
Member Engagement Director
Email
224-619-3615

  • Member Engagement, Support & Education
  • New Member Onboarding
  • Member Data Collection
  • Member Site Visits
  • Selected Communities

Liz has over 15 years of experience working for a variety of membership-driven organizations across various industries. She creates strategies and outreach activities and drives and manages the Association’s member engagement as it pertains to our meetings, programs and resources. Liz also collaborates with staff and outside resources to ensure we have the infrastructure and technology in place to strengthen our data collection efforts and outbound communication tactics. While developing relationships with our firms, their staff and other audiences, she identifies unmet needs and communicates these to the Board and team for consideration and implementation.

Cameron Edwards
Marketing & Engagement Coordinator
Email
847-236-9917

  • Marketing Campaign Support
  • Social Media & Public Relations
  • Website & Brand Integrity
  • Member News
  • Member & Communities Support

Cameron brings more than 10 years of writing, editing, web and customer service experience to Selected. He works closely with the Team to execute the association’s marketing and communications efforts by supporting our promotional and digital efforts, monitoring brand image and key metrics. He also provides support to Selected’s members and Communities by sharing opportunities and building relationships to enhance the membership experience.

Kristal Garcia
Administrative Support Specialist
Email
847-236-9948

  • Meetings and Registration Support
  • Member Programs Support
  • Operations and Member Support
  • Continuing Education (CE)

Kristal will play an essential role in supporting our meetings, member programs and operations areas. She will also coordinate our continuing education (CE) efforts including securing approvals for Selected’s NextGen Seminar, Annual Meeting and additional meetings from all relevant governing bodies, ensuring all meeting participants receive credit as needed. Kristal is an experienced customer service professional, working in various veterinary organizations and also served as a funeral assistant.

Melanie Hofmann

Melanie Hofmann
Professional Development & Events Manager
Email
847-236-9915

  • Educational Planning
  • Meeting Planning
  • Speaker Contracts
  • Hotel Contracts
  • Selected Leadership Academy
  • The Bulletin

Melanie is responsible for all of Selected's meetings and educational programming, including the Annual Meeting, NextGen Seminar, Group Roundtable Meetings, Forum FOCUS: Expert Edition and Selected Connections programs. She works closely with the Board of Directors, Programming Work Group and NextGen Advisory Group to create meeting experiences that emphasize take-home value and foster increased interaction among members. Melanie invites suggestions and feedback from all members to continually evolve and improve Selected's meeting offerings. In addition, she facilitates all aspects of the Selected Leadership Academy and leads the internal and external editorial teams for The Bulletin.

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Robert Paterkiewicz
Executive Director & CEO
Email
224-619-3614

  • Spokesperson for Selected
  • Headquarters Administration
  • Membership Development
  • Governance & Volunteers
  • Annual Operating Budget and Full P&L Responsibility
  • Allied Relations & Representation
  • Strategic Planning & Execution

Robert is a seasoned association executive with over 30 years’ experience in management and leadership positions within various trade and professional associations. His professional background and extensive hands-on experience with the challenges and opportunities faced by members ensures that he is ready and able to assist you in whatever need you may have. As the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Selected, Robert serves as the chief administrator and is ultimately responsible for all functions of the association. He supervises all staff and Headquarters activities and is responsible for the formulation, implementation and evaluation of all programs and services offered through Selected.

Sarah Pojanowski

Sarah Pojanowski
General Counsel
Email
574-339-3625

  • Legal Counsel
  • Member Consultation
  • Funeral Rule Matters
  • Growth Community

Sarah is an expert in all aspects of law related to the death care profession and small business operations, including staff and human resources problems, as well as issues with client families and suppliers. Serving as General Counsel for Selected for over a decade, she also has significant experience in the law pertaining to nonprofit trade associations.

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Denise Zoephel
Assistant Executive Director
& COO

Email
224-619-3616

  • Headquarters Administration & Operations
  • Human Resources
  • Selected Study Groups Program
  • Family Follow-Up Survey Program

Denise is an inspiring, enthusiastic and compassionate leader who values people and process. She excels at driving and navigating organizational performance and continuously improving systems and efficiency. She also oversees all aspects of Selected’s member programs and services. She works closely with members to ensure they get the most out of their participation. She has extensive knowledge of strategic planning, human resources, sales and marketing through previous positions held at both nonprofit and for-profit organizations.

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Stefanie Favia
Educational Trust
Executive Director

Email
847-236-0150

  • Fundraising
  • Scholarships
  • Workforce Development
  • Job Fairs
  • Program & Research Development
  • Institute for Exceptional Funeral Service
  • Trust Marketing & Events

Stefanie is responsible for the overall administration and management of the Selected Educational Trust including maintaining, expanding and developing new Programs. She is responsible for cultivating, stewarding and developing new and continued financial support and involvement for programs which include scholarships, research, education, workforce development and the Institute for Exceptional Funeral Service. Stefanie is the key staff liaison between the Trust and the association and for building ongoing and renewed relationships with donors, sponsors and the public.

Ashley Gottlieb

Ashley Gottlieb
Educational Trust Administrative & Marketing Assistant (PT)
Email
224-619-3619

  • Donor Administration
  • Scholarship Administration
  • Marketing

Ashley manages the Trust’s database, maintains all donor records and sends all donation acknowledgements. She also facilitates the Second-Career Scholarship program and supports marketing and special events.